Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan and younger rival Shah Rukh Khan appear to be bickering over who's the bigger star, media reports said on Sunday.

"Let's see what happens to him after 25 years,'' Bachchan was quoted as saying referring to Khan.

Bachchan's remarks were provoked by Khan's recent comments to the media that Bachchan's time was up.

"I am sexy, smart and young. That was his century; this is mine,'' Khan was as saying.

The war of words, which began innocuously over a perceived rivalry between the two about who was the reigning superstar of Bollywood, has been fanned by the media.

Bachchan has dismissed talk of any rivalry.

"Whatever he says is correct. I am old and he is young, and I agree he is smart and sexy,'' Bachchan said, before going on to make the remark about Khan's future.